VIKINGS WEEK TO WEEK

Saturday, March 7, 2009

UMM YES....

WATCHMEN (A-)The anticipation to see this film started after I finished reading the graphic novel...twice. So you could say that I am a pretty big fan, so I saw it twice. In film review tradition I'm going to start off talking about how unbelievably hot Malin Akerman (Heartbreak Kid) is, seen above. She plays Laurie aka Silk Spectre in the film Watchmen.

Watchmen is a film based on a graphic novel written years ago by Alan Moore (also wrote the V for Vendetta graphic novel). The story is set in 1985 in Cold War America. The fear of nuclear warfare between the Russians and Americans is growing. Costumed heroes who used to fight crime now have been outlawed by the government for years now. The revolutionary aspect of this story is how the author weaves the heroes into world history. The story is about a former crime fighting group the Watchmen who now seem to be in danger. One of their own, The Comedian, is murdered in his home. The search for the motive and the killer begins.

The plot to get rid of costumed heroes gets thicker as the story unfolds. Some are dying, some put in jail, and some even extradited off the planet. That would be Dr. Manhattan, or the blue guy. He is the only Watchmen with any actual super powers after being exposed to a freak intrinsic experiment. He has the ability to rearrange atoms into any structure, making him the most powerful being on earth. He is so powerful that people even call him a god. The story is pretty complex, and even more complex than that. However, the film does a very good job explaining it all.

I don't really think going into the story more than that is really necessary because this review would be 3 pages. While Ok by me, I am not going to do that.

The film was directed wonderfully by Zack Snyder (300). Many scenes in the film were just like the graphic novel itself, which was truly satisfying. Snyder, staying true to his colors (see 300) made the film littered with violence. When you read graphic violence for the R rating, they mean graphic. Even some shots that made me flinch in disgust. With that violence comes awesome action and fighting scenes. Just like 300, the fight scenes were extraordinary.

I'm not even going to go in depth with how good the CGI was in the film. Dr. Manhattan is hard to pull off, and he was done flawlessly. Having that character well done adds to the value of this film. Snyder did a great job with his second film, and will make most die hard Watchmen fans happy.

The editing needs to be mentioned as well. With so much content to put into a film, it is hard to get it all in. This film was almost 3 hours, and they left out plenty. That tells of how much there is to tell. They opening credits run you through a quick history of events in the country, the crime fighting masked heroes, and their lives. This part was probably most satisfying for people who read the novel, but it was very well done. That is just some of the great editing in this film. The scenes fit well together, flowed lets say. Even with so many characters and their own stories.

Another mention needed is the soundtrack. There are many great songs that add so much depth and emotion to the film. The songs fit the era perfectly, and the film as well.

Ok, so in the end I loved this film. I was a little upset that they changed the ending from that of the novel. But the different ending fit the film perfectly, and I liked it as well. So even as a hardcore fan I was very happy after seeing it. I actually liked it better the second time around. For the casual viewer I would say it is worth a view. If you do not like comic book films this one would definitely be a stretch for you. However, I recommend that anyone who really likes films give this one a try. Even if you don't like it, you can still appreciate the amazing visuals and fight scenes. The people who produced this film did their homework and worked very hard to tell this tale. They deserve all the accolades because this film was as good as it could be.